Chapter 2, A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a… by Thomas Brooks (1669) | AskReformation

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:350p. 155§1

Secondly, To recover the Image of God again to the §2height of what we are able. The first Adam lost the Image of God by his disobedience. Now this Image of God we recover again in Christ our second Adam; but so, as that the more enlightened, the more holy, the more humble, the more heavenly, the more righteous, the more gracious, and the more obedient we are,¹ the more we recover of this Image of God, which consists in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. Now saith the Believer, my intent is to recover that precious Image of God which I lost in the first Adam, and therefore do I labour to come up to the highest pitches of obedience, because the higher I rise in my obedience, the more I shall recover of the lost Image of God; I know that I lost this Image by partaking of the disobedience and pollution of the first Adam; and I know that I have recovered in part the same Image, by partaking of the obedience and holiness of the second Adam: And I yet further know, that the more holy and obedient I am, the more I shall be like to that God, that is holiness it self, and the more I shall recover of that blessed Image, which consists in perfect holiness.

Secondly, To recover the Image of God again to the §2heighth of what we are able. The first Adam lost the Image of God by his disobedience. Now this Image of God we recover again in Christ our second Adam; but so, as that the more enlightned, the more holy, the more humble, the more heavenly, the more righteous, the more gracious, and the more obedient we are,¹ the more we recover of this Image of God, which consists in knowledg, righteousness, and true holiness. Now saith the Believer, my intent is to recover that precious Image of God which I lost in the first Adam, and therefore do I labour to come up to the highest pitches of obedience, because the higher I rise in my obedience, the more I shall recover of the lost Image of God; I know that I lost this Image by partaking of the disobedience and pollution of the first Adam; and I know that I have recovered in part the same Image, by partaking of the obedience and holiness of the second Adam: And I yet further know, that the more holy and obedient I am, the more I shall be like to that God, that is holiness it self, and the more I shall recover of that blessed Image, which consists in perfect holiness.

1Ephes. 4.24.

:354p. 156–557§6

Sixthly, That they may keep up their communion with God; for though the Union the Saints have with God by Christ, depends wholly upon that which is without, viz. their being married to Christ, and clothed with his Righteousness; yet the Communion which the Saints have with God through the Spirit, hath much dependence upon a Saints walking, and upon his obedience: So that if a Saint shall dare to walk carnally and loosely,¹ though he shall not break the Marriage-knot, and lose his union, yet he will by such sinful practices grieve the Spirit, and lose his communion with God. But on the other hand, when a Believer walks spiritually, graciously, obedientially, O what sweet communion! what delightful communion! what high communion! what commodious communion! what Soul-satisfying, Soul-ravishing, Soul-filling, Soul-contenting communion with God does he then enjoy! When the Child walks wisely, and obedientially before his Father, what sweet and delightful converses and communion is there between the Father and the Child? but if the child walk foolishly, stubbornly, rebelliously, disobediently, the prudent Father will carry it ⟨p. 557⟩severely, strangely, frowningly, and at a distance, though his heart be still full of love to, his child; and though he won't disinherit him, yet he wont be familiar with him. The application is easy, &c.

Sixthly, That they may keep up their communion with God; for though the Union the Saints have with God by Christ, depends wholly upon that which is without, viz. their being married to Christ, and cloathed with his Righteousness; yet the Communion which the Saints have with God through the Spirit, hath much dependance upon a Saints walking, and upon his obedience: So that if a Saint shall dare to walk carnally and loosly,¹ though he shall not break the Marriage-knot, and lose his union, yet he will by such sinful practices grieve the Spirit, and lose his communion with God. But on the other hand, when a Believer walks spiritually, graciously, obedientially, O what sweet communion! what delightful communion! what high communion! what commodious communion! what Soul-satisfying, Soul-ravishing, Soul-filling, Soul-contenting communion with God does he then enjoy! When the Child walks wisely, and obedientially before his Father, what sweet and delightful converses and communion is there between the Father and the Child? but if the child walk foolishly, stubbornly, rebelliously, disobediently, the prudent Father will carry it ⟨p. 557⟩severely, strangely, frowningly, and at a distance, though his heart be still full of love to, his child; and though he won't disinherit him, yet he wont be familiar with him. The application is easie, &c.

1Jer. 3.14. Isa. 49.1, 2.

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Seventhly, To keep down the body, and to bring it into §7subjection to the soul, 1 Cor. 9.27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection. By spiritual exercises the Apostle d d subdue his flesh to the obedience and discipline of the spirit; in former times they had several exercises, as wrestling, and running for the prize. Now, such as were slow, pursy, unwieldy, and lazy, were cashiered; they would not admit such to be of their society or company, who wrestled and run for the prize: Them that were admitted to those exercises, kept their bodies at an under, and did not pamper their bodies with dainties and delicates. To these the Apostle alludes, of idleness there comes no goodness; when the spirit is not acting in that which is good, that the flesh may be kept under, the flesh will take an advantage to be very active in those things that are evil, that the spirit may be kept under; the flesh is like an unruly beast, which through rest, idleness, and high feeding, grows wild and masterless. Now, the only way to tame this beast, is to work him hard; so the way of ways to keep the body under, is to keep up the soul as much as may be, in the full exercise of holiness and obedience; such as have most pampered their bodies,¹ have been the greatest enemies to their own souls; and how many are there this day, that pamper their bodies, but starve their souls? that adorn their bodies, but defiles their soul? that trick and trim up their bodies with gold, and silver, and silks, whilst their souls are naked of all grace, holiness and goodness? like the Laodiceans of old. The body it self, if you set too high a price upon it, will make a cheap soul; a man may be as happy in Russet, as in Tissue; and he is certainly an unhappy man, whose outside is his best side; our bodies are but dirt handsomely tempered, and artificially formed; we derive our pedigree from the dust, and are a kin to clay; and therefore we need not scruple the keeping of it under by holy ⟨p. 158⟩exercises, and by all ways of Gospel-obedience, &c.

Seventhly, To keep down the body, and to bring it into §7subjection to the soul, 1 Cor. 9.27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection. By spiritual exercises the Apostle d d subdue his flesh to the obedience and discipline of the spirit; in former times they had several exercises, as wrestling, and running for the prize. Now, such as were slow, pursie, unweildy, and lazy, were cashiered; they would not admit such to be of their society or company, who wrestled and run for the prize: Them that were admitted to those exercises, kept their bodies at an under, and did not pamper their bodies with dainties and delicates. To these the Apostle alludes, of idleness there comes no goodness; when the spirit is not acting in that which is good, that the flesh may be kept under, the flesh will take an advantage to be very active in those things that are evil, that the spirit may be kept under; the flesh is like an unruly beast, which through rest, idleness, and high feeding, grows wild and masterless. Now, the only way to tame this beast, is to work him hard; so the way of wayes to keep the body under, is to keep up the soul as much as may be, in the full exercise of holiness and obedience; such as have most pampered their bodies,¹ have been the greatest enemies to their own souls; and how many are there this day, that pamper their bodies, but starve their souls? that adorn their bodies, but defiles their soul? that trick and trim up their bodies with gold, and silver, and silks, whilst their souls are naked of all grace, holiness and goodness? like the Laodiceans of old. The body it self, if you set too high a price upon it, will make a cheap soul; a man may be as happy in Russet, as in Tissue; and he is certainly an unhappy man, whose outside is his best side; our bodies are but dirt handsomly tempered, and artificially formed; we derive our pedigree from the dust, and are a kin to clay; and therefore we need not scruple the keeping of it under by holy ⟨p. 158⟩exercises, and by all wayes of Gospel-obedience, &c.

1Deut. 32.13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Jer. 5.7, 8, &c. Rev. 3 16, 17, 18.

:356p. 158§8

Eighthly, To the profit and advantage, both of sinners and Saints; 1. To convince sinners, to silence sinners, and to stop the mouths of sinners; let but one man that walks wisely, humbly, circumspectly, convincingly, exemplarily, blamelessly, come into a Town, a Parish, a Family, made up of drunkards, swearers, Sabbath-breakers, whore-masters, &c. and his holy walking, will convince them, and condemn them, 1 Pet. 2.12, 15. Chap. 3.13, 16. 2. To the profit, advantage and encouragement of the Saints. The strict exact walking Christian, provokes the slight loose Christian to mend his manners, and to order his steps and conversation aright; and the lively active Christian, puts the dull, heavy, sluggish Christian to a blush, and spurs and quickens him up to a more lively walking with God; and the warm, flaming, zealous, burning Christian, puts heat and warmth into the cold, formal, frozen Christian; and the free, liberal, bountiful Christian, provokes others to be free, noble, and liberal, for the supply of the necessities of the Saints, 2 Cor. 9.1, 2. Chap. 8.1, 2, 3, 4, 19, 20, &c.

Eighthly, To the profit and advantage, both of sinners and Saints; 1. To convince sinners, to silence sinners, and to stop the mouths of sinners; let but one man that walks wisely, humbly, circumspectly, convincingly, exemplarily, blamelesly, come into a Town, a Parish, a Family, made up of drunkards, swearers, Sabbath-breakers, whore-masters, &c. and his holy walking, will convince them, and condemn them, 1 Pet. 2.12, 15. Chap. 3.13, 16. 2. To the profit, advantage and encouragement of the Saints. The strict exact walking Christian, provokes the slight loose Christian to mend his manners, and to order his steps and conversation aright; and the lively active Christian, puts the dull, heavy, sluggish Christian to a blush, and spurs and quickens him up to a more lively walking with God; and the warm, flaming, zealous, burning Christian, puts heat and warmth into the cold, formal, frozen Christian; and the free, liberal, bountiful Christian, provokes others to be free, noble, and liberal, for the supply of the necessities of the Saints, 2 Cor. 9.1, 2. Chap. 8.1, 2, 3, 4, 19, 20, &c.

:357p. 158–159§9

The ninth and last (though not the least end) is the honour and glory of the great God. God's grace is the spring, and God's glory is the end of all a Christians obedience; God's glory is the ultimate end,¹ the primary end, the universal end, the Sea to which all a Christians actions, like so many Rivers, move and bend: 'Tis true, many poor, low, mean, base ends, may creep into a Christians performances; but here mark, 1. They are disallowed. 2. They are loathed and abhorred. 3. They are resisted and striven against. 4. They are lamented and mourned over. 5. The gracious soul would willingly be rid of them; if a Christian might have his choice, he would never be troubled with any base end any more. Beloved, you must always distinguish between a mans settled and his suggested ends; a mans settled end may be one things, and his suggested end another thing. Now for ever remember this; That the great God always makes a judgement ⟨p. 159⟩of men according to their settled ends, according to the universal frame of their spirits, and not according to those ends that may be suggested to them, by the world, the flesh, or the devil. It is in this case, as it may be with a man that shoots at a mark, he aims aright at the mark, but his elbow may meet with a jog, which may carry the arrow quite another way than what he intended; or as it is with a man that is sailing to such a Haven, or to such a Harbour, he steers a right course by his Compass, but the winds blowing contrary, and the Sea running high, he is forced into such a creek, or such a Harbour, which he never intended, &c.

The ninth and last (though not the least end) is the honour and glory of the great God. God's grace is the spring, and God's glory is the end of all a Christians obedience; God's glory is the ultimate end,¹ the primary end, the universal end, the Sea to which all a Christians actions, like so many Rivers, move and bend: 'Tis true, many poor, low, mean, base ends, may creep into a Christians performances; but here mark, 1. They are disallowed. 2. They are loathed and abhorred. 3. They are resisted and striven against. 4. They are lamented and mourned over. 5. The gracious soul would willingly be rid of them; if a Christian might have his choice, he would never be troubled with any base end any more. Beloved, you must alwayes distinguish between a mans setled and his suggested ends; a mans setled end may be one things, and his suggested end another thing. Now for ever remember this; That the great God alwayes makes a judgement ⟨p. 159⟩of men according to their setled ends, according to the universal frame of their spirits, and not according to those ends that may be suggested to them, by the world, the flesh, or the devil. It is in this case, as it may be with a man that shoots at a mark, he aims aright at the mark, but his elbow may meet with a jog, which may carry the arrow quite another way than what he intended; or as it is with a man that is sailing to such a Haven, or to such a Harbour, he steers a right course by his Compass, but the winds blowing contrary, and the Sea running high, he is forced into such a creek, or such a Harbour, which he never intended, &c.

1Rom. 14.7, 8. Phil. 1.20, 21.